Chapter 14

The two humans thundered down the street, their robotic escorts leading the way. Jim Bob’s rubber treads were a blur on the smooth surface of the road, his sleeping cargo bouncing under the tarp, snoring loudly.

Aliens of every description ran after them in a howling mob. They carried an assortment of pipes, chains and unidentifiable, but obviously heavy tools. There could be no doubt they were out for blood. Specifically, human blood.

A voice called out from overhead. “Stop in the name of Station Security. We will use force if you do not comply!”

Jim Bob didn’t even slow down, his massive metal body picking up speed by the second. Bobby John couldn’t risk a look back. He was already having trouble keeping up.

One of the giant rolling eyeballs spun into Jim Bob’s path. He slammed into the thing at high speed with a meaty thud. The eyeball exploded in a cascade of goo, splattering everything within ten metres. Bobby John barely kept on his feet as he slip-slided his way through the gruesome mess.

“Take that, ya ornery critter!” Jim Bob wiped goo from his eyes and face and motored on. The two droids, acting like icebreakers, plowed a pathway through the milling pedestrians.

A post to Jim Bob’s right exploded in a shower of sparks (After all, what is a high-speed chase without explosions and sparks?). The man machine looked over his right shoulder and saw one of the flying security guards taking aim at him with what could only be a gun of some kind. One of Jim Bob’s metal tentacles flashed out into the crowd and grabbed the first alien it touched. In a single, fluid movement he tossed the alien at the security guard.

The flying alien was a multi-tentacled thing that latched onto the security guard as soon as they collided. It also projected a foul-smelling cloud of inky blue gas that filled the entire street. In moments the entire area was filled with a reeking cerulean fog. Various biological sounds of retching and gagging came from all sides.

Bobby John, unable to see anything, ran into the back of Jim Bob with a bang.

“Ow! Watch it, Jim Bob,” Bobby John said, picking himself up off the street, while rubbing his belly.

“Ah stopped cause ah didn’t know where you were, Bobby John,” Jim Bob said. “Grab hold of my arm so we don’t get separated.” Jim Bob’s right tentacle snaked back to poke Bobby John who grabbed a hold of it. 

“Ah cain’t see anything in this, Jim Bob!” Bobby John said.

“That’s good. They won’t be able to see us neither. Only problem is, how are we gonna find our way outta here?”

A voice sounded next to Jim Bob’s ear. “I believe I can help you with that,” Vincent said. “I am able to use my sensors to get you to safety.”

“Wheeooo! Am ah glad to hear you,” Jim Bob said. “Here, take my other arm and lead the way.”

Vincent grabbed Jim Bob’s left tentacle and began leading the man machine down the street. The other bot, Bob, did his best to move any aliens out of the way, but Jim Bob did run over a couple, leaving them in groaning heaps behind.

The voice of the security guard rang down on them again. “Attention all citizens. Station ventilation will clear this foul gas out shortly. Until it does, remain calm and stay where you are.

Bobby John could already see that things were clearing up. He could now see the back of Jim Bob’s metal body. “Jim Bob, we’ve gotta hurry before them security fellas can see us again.”

“Ah’m doing the best ah can,” Jim Bob said. From the tone of his voice, he was struggling with moving blind.

A burst of bright light flashed past Jim Bob’s head and he picked up speed. Bobby John was almost yanked off his feet. He looked back and could just see several of the security guards flying towards them. Another burst of light streaked past and struck Bob, the older droid. A shower of sparks sprayed from the hole in the bot and it fell to the ground with a crunch.

Bobby John reached down with his free hand and pitched the broken little machine into the back of Jim Bob’s bucket as he swooped by.

They managed to make it to a lift shaft and Jim Bob punched the emergency door close button. He didn’t wait for the conveyance to ask for a destination. “Take us to the docking bay!”

The lift began to drop as commanded.

“Grokmar,” Bobby John called. “Station Security is chasing us. We’re gonna be in the docking bay any minute. Anything you can do to distract any a them fellas that might be awaiting?”

Grokmar’s voice sounded in his ear. “I believe I can help you. Run straight to the ship as soon as the doors of your lift open. Ignore any sirens and don’t let anyone stop you. I will have my loading bay ramp down. Go directly in and I will lift off as soon as you are on board.” The normally sedate voice of the Grokmar was uncharacteristically hurried.

The lift door opened into chaos. Different alarms were blaring, sentients of every description were running around in panic and jets of steam and smoke were erupting from the floor, ceiling and walls.

Bobby John led the way. “Come on! Grokmar said to run like our lives depended on it for the ship. Don’t let nothin’ get in our way.”

The odd group roared across the docking bay floor. A group of dazed looking security guards were bowled over like ten pins by Jim Bob and several of the workers had to leap out of the way into containers, recesses and pools of oil to escape the charging escapees.

They saw the Grokmar, a large ramp opening and altered direction to intersect. Within moments, they were in the ship’s large loading bay and the ramp was closing. The starship rumbled and creaked as the engines fired up and ripped it free of the station.

The voice of the Grokmar filled the loading bay. “Bobby John, did you get everyone?”

“Yep. Zeke, Carol Anne and Betty Sue are all piled into the back of Jim Bob.”

“Interesting. Jim Bob, you appear somewhat different than when you departed the ship. Did you choose an upgrade while on the station?”

Jim Bob looked disgusted. “No! Somebody did this to me. They stole my arms and legs. Should be a law against that sorta thing! ”

“Do not fear. I am certain you will get used to them eventually,” the ship said.

“Ah don’t wanna get used to them. Ah want my body back the way it was!”

“Perhaps in time,” Grokmar said. “I have heard that some species have the technology to grow new limbs. We may be able to trade for that technology.”

“Fine, whatever!” Jim Bob said. “Just make it happen.”

“Bobby John, you appear to have brought an old service droid with you,” Grokmar said, after scanning the group.

“Two actually, Grokmar,” Bobby John replied. He pointed to Vincent. “This here is Vincent. He helped us to rescue the others.”

“Charmed, I am sure,” Grokmar said with a snooty tone. “And the other?”

Bobby John pointed to the old droid in the back of Jim Bob. “Old Bob here was damaged when we escaped. Ah couldn’t very well leave him behind.”

“Damaged? It would appear that it was destroyed. No matter, I can dispose of it when we are clear of the Ortega system.”

“No way, Grokmar. He helped us and ah aim to fix him,” Bobby John said.

“As you wish.”

***

Several hours later, the humans were assembled once again in the dining area. Zeke,  Betty Sue and Carol Anne were looking much the worse for wear, but were up and about once again. Jim Bob was forced to lean in from one of the larger rooms, unable to fit in with his large mechanical body.

“You humans seem to have made an impression. As we were leaving the Ortega system, I intercepted a news broadcast,” Grokmar said.

The video feed crackled to life and the sound of high-energy music filled the room. A humanoid figure filled the screen dressed head to toe in a flowing purple cape and tunic. It had brown tufts of hair sprouting from various points on its head and a small facial scar.

“This is the Galaxy News Tic (In the greater galaxy, 'Tic' is a measurement of time. On Earth, it is a type of parasite. As it turns out, the name of the program was descriptive for both definitions.) with the voices of the Galaxy, MegaDan Scholes and Phlarkback Gigglewander,” the voice of an unseen announcer said.

The music faded and the caped being began to speak. “Hello Galaxy, this is MegaDan Scholes with another Galaxy News Tic. Phlarkback is on assignment studying the arachnid mating habits on Klendathu.”

MegaDan turned to face another camera feed. “In the news this tic, Phlarkback Gigglewander and her recording crew were killed earlier today when they accidently stumbled into a cavern where a large group of the arachnids were in in the middle of mating. Phlarkback was heard to say, ‘Oh crap, this looks very bad.…’ shortly before the transmission was cut off. Scientists speculate that the arachnids, which are approximately three meters in height and weigh in excess of one hundred kilos each, do not like to be disturbed by bright lights and will react with aggression.”

MegaDan grinned. “Sorry to see you go, kid, but best of luck in a future life.”

He shuffled some papers and a graphic of Slacktor Station appeared over one of his shoulders. “On the lighter side, it appears that the residents of Slacktor Station, more colorfully known as Sin Station in the Ortega system is under attack by a hoard of carnivorous, previously unknown beings. A certain Globiphon ‘Happy’ Homarian, who is known to the authorities, is the only confirmed victim of the hoard having been killed, cooked and eaten. Later the same day another group were captured while ‘Shopping for groceries’ in the station nursery.”

“When contacted by Galaxy News Tic, Station Security would only say ‘We haven’t seen this group before, but we’re sure we’ve contained the problem. There is nothing to worry about.’ Ironically enough, those very words were uttered by the late Phlarkback Gigglewander just before her team decended into that tragic cavern earlier today.”

MegaDan laughed then. “Cannibals! What will they think of next?”

The show’s closing music began to play then.

“And that’s another Galaxy News Tic. I’m MegaDan Scholes wishing you good news and good luck.”

The music on the screen began to fade and Grokmar turned off the feed.

 “We are going to have to be very careful from now on,” Grokmar said. “And I have more bad news; I was unable to get any new foodstuffs for you while docked at the station. You will need to continue eating the Soda and Candy as you call them for a little while longer.”